Simultaneous determination of copper and lead in ethanol fuel by anodic stripping voltammetry

The presence of trace metals in car fuels plays an important role in the engine maintenance. In addition, these metals contribute for the environmental contamination in big cities and their control is necessary. Square Wave Stripping Voltammetry (SWSV) is a very sensitive technique for elemental trace determination and was applied for ethanol fuel analysis. The first studies were done searching for the best conditions for copper determination in alcoholic medium, utilizing gold electrodes. During these studies, the possibility of the simultaneous determination of copper and lead in the same experiment was observed. Two procedures for the analysis of these metals were adopted: The direct quantification of metals in alcohol–water mixtures and a second way that involves the evaporation of the organic solvent and re-suspension of the ions with water+electrolyte. Good recovery values were obtained for synthetic samples spiked with known amounts of metals. The results obtained for the two methods were in good agreement. The detection limits for copper and lead in 75% ethanol–water ratio solution were calculated as 120 and 235 ng l⁻¹, respectively, for 15-min deposition time.     

Seven 5‐benzylamino‐3‐tert‐butyl‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazoles: unexpected isomorphisms,and hydrogen‐bonded supramolecular structures in zero,one and two dimensions

5‐Benzylamino‐3‐tert‐butyl‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazole, C₂₀H₂₃N₃, (I), and its 5‐[4‐(trifluoromethyl)benzyl]‐, C₂₁H₂₂F₃N₃, (III), and 5‐(4‐bromobenzyl)‐, C₂₀H₂₂BrN₃, (V), analogues, are isomorphous in the space group C2/c, but not strictly isostructural; molecules of (I) form hydrogen‐bonded chains, while those of (III) and (V) form hydrogen‐bonded sheets, albeit with slightly different architectures. Molecules of 3‐tert‐butyl‐5‐(4‐methylbenzylamino)‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazole, C₂₁H₂₅N₃, (II), are linked into hydrogen‐bonded dimers by a combination of N—H...π(arene) and C—H...π(arene) hydrogen bonds, while those of 3‐tert‐butyl‐5‐(4‐chlorobenzylamino)‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazole, C₂₀H₂₂ClN₃, (IV), form hydrogen‐bonded chains of rings which are themselves linked into sheets by an aromatic π–π stacking interaction. Simple hydrogen‐bonded chains built from a single N—H...O hydrogen bond are formed in 3‐tert‐butyl‐5‐(4‐nitrobenzylamino)‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazole, C₂₀H₂₂N₄O₂, (VI), while in 3‐tert‐butyl‐5‐(3,4,5‐trimethoxybenzylamino)‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazole, C₂₃H₂₉N₃O₃, (VII), which crystallizes with Z′ = 2 in the space group P, pairs of molecules are linked into two independent centrosymmetric dimers, one generated by a three‐centre N—H...(O)₂ hydrogen bond and the other by a two‐centre N—H...O hydrogen bond.     

Determination of amylose content in starch using Raman spectroscopy and multivariate calibration analysis

Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy and chemometric tools have been used for exploratory analysis of pure corn and cassava starch samples and mixtures of both starches, as well as for the quantification of amylose content in corn and cassava starch samples. The exploratory analysis using principal component analysis shows that two natural groups of similar samples can be obtained, according to the amylose content, and consequently the botanical origins. The Raman band at 480 cm^?1, assigned to the ring vibration of starches, has the major contribution to the separation of the corn and cassava starch samples. This region was used as a marker to identify the presence of starch in different samples, as well as to characterize amylose and amylopectin. Two calibration models were developed based on partial least squares regression involving pure corn and cassava, and a third model with both starch samples was also built; the results were compared with the results of the standard colorimetric method. The samples were separated into two groups of calibration and validation by employing the Kennard-Stone algorithm and the optimum number of latent variables was chosen by the root mean square error of cross-validation obtained from the calibration set by internal validation (leave one out). The performance of each model was evaluated by the root mean square errors of calibration and prediction, and the results obtained indicate that Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy can be used for rapid determination of apparent amylose in starch samples with prediction errors similar to those of the standard method.

Inclusion complexes of cyclodextrins with 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimides (part 2)

Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to characterize inclusion compounds between 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimides (ANI) derivatives and different cyclodextrins (CDs). The ANI derivatives employed were N-(12-aminododecyl)-4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide (mono-C₁₂ANI) and N,N′-(1,12-dodecanediyl)bis-4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide (bis-C₁₂ANI). The CDs used here were α-CD, β-CD, γ-CD, HP-α-CD, HP-β-CD and HP-γ-CD. The presence of CDs resulted in pronounced blue-shifts in the emission spectra of the ANI derivatives, with increases in emission intensity. This behavior was parallel to that observed for the dyes in apolar solvents, indicating that inclusion complexes were formed between the ANI and the CDs. Mono-C₁₂ANI formed inclusion complexes of 1:1 stoichiometry with all the CDs studied. Complexes with the larger CDs (HP-β-CD, HP-γ-CD and γ-CD) were formed by inclusion of the chromophoric ANI ring system, whereas the smaller CDs (α-CD, HP-α-CD and β-CD) formed complexes with mono-C₁₂ANI by inclusion of the dodecyl chain. Bis-C₁₂ANI formed inclusion complexes of 1:2 stoichiometry with HP-β-CD, HP-γ-CD and γ-CD, but did not form inclusion complexes with α-CD, HP-α-CD and β-CD. The data were treated in the case of the large CDs using a Benesi-Hildebrand like equation, giving the following equilibrium constants: mono-C₁₂ANI:HP-β-CD (K ₁₁ = 50 M^?1), mono-C₁₂ANI:HP-γ-CD (K ₁₁ = 180 M^?1), bis-C₁₂ANI:HP-β-CD (K ₁₂ = 146 M^?2), bis-C₁₂ANI:HP-γ-CD (K ₁₂ = 280 M^?2).     

Screening and Production Study of Microbial Xylanase Producers from Brazilian Cerrado

Hemicelluloses are polysaccharides of low molecular weight containing 100 to 200 glycosidic residues. In plants, the xylans or the hemicelluloses are situated between the lignin and the collection of cellulose fibers underneath. The xylan is the most common hemicellulosic polysaccharide in cell walls of land plants, comprising a backbone of xylose residues linked by β-1,4-glycosidic bonds. So, xylanolytic enzymes from microorganism have attracted a great deal of attention in the last decade, particularly because of their biotechnological characteristics in various industrial processes, related to food, feed, ethanol, pulp, and paper industries. A microbial screening of xylanase producer was carried out in Brazilian Cerrado area in Selviria city, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. About 50 bacterial strains and 15 fungal strains were isolated from soil sample at 35 °C. Between these isolated microorganisms, a bacterium Lysinibacillus sp. and a fungus Neosartorya spinosa as good xylanase producers were identified. Based on identification processes, Lysinibacillus sp. is a new species and the xylanase production by this bacterial genus was not reported yet. Similarly, it has not reported about xylanase production from N. spinosa. The bacterial strain P5B1 identified as Lysinibacillus sp. was cultivated on submerged fermentation using as substrate xylan, wheat bran, corn straw, corncob, and sugar cane bagasse. Corn straw and wheat bran show a good xylanase activity after 72 h of fermentation. A fungus identified as N. spinosa (strain P2D16) was cultivated on solid-state fermentation using as substrate source wheat bran, wheat bran plus sawdust, corn straw, corncob, cassava bran, and sugar cane bagasse. Wheat bran and corncobs show the better xylanase production after 72 h of fermentation. Both crude xylanases were characterized and a bacterial xylanase shows optimum pH for enzyme activity at 6.0, whereas a fungal xylanase has optimum pH at 5.0–5.5. They were stable in the pH range 5.0–10.0 and 5.5–8.5 for bacterial and fungal xylanase, respectively. The optimum temperatures were 55C and 60 °C for bacterial and fungal xylanase, respectively, and they were thermally stable up to 50 °C.     

Production of Cellulolytic Enzymes by Fungi Acrophialophora nainiana and Ceratocystis paradoxa Using Different Carbon Sources

Although a number of filamentous fungi, such as Trichoderma and Aspergillus, are well known as producers of cellulases, xylanases, and accessory cellulolytic enzymes, the search for new strains and new enzymes has become a priority with the increase in diversity of biomass sources. Moreover, according to the type of pretreatment applied, biomass of the same type may require different enzyme blends to be efficiently hydrolyzed. This study evaluated cellulases, xylanases, and β-glucosidases produced by two fungi, the thermotolerant Acrophialophora nainiana and Ceratocystis paradoxa. Cells were grown in submerged culture on three carbon sources: lactose, wheat bran, or steam-pretreated sugarcane bagasse, a commonly used cattle feed in Brazil. Xylanase and endo-1-4-β-glucanase (CMCase) highest production were found in A. nainiana growing on lactose and reached levels of 2,200 and 2,016 IU/L, respectively. C. paradoxa showed highest activity for xylanase when grown on wheat bran and for β-glucosidase when grown on steam-treated bagasse, at levels of 12,728 and 1,068 IU/mL, respectively.     

A Simple Strategy to Improve the Accuracy of the Injection Step in Batch Injection Analysis Systems with Amperometric Detection

In this study, we describe for the first time the application of an internal standard method to compensate for random errors associated with the injection procedure in batch injection analysis (BIA) systems with multiple pulse amperometric detection. A sequence of potential pulses was selected in such a way that the internal standard (IS) compound was detected individually at one potential pulse and both the IS and analyte, were detected at another potential pulse. The current ratio (I_IS+analyte/I_IS) was used in the construction of the calibration curve and then to compensate for random errors. The use of disposable syringes or manual pipettes in BIA systems increases the robustness of the method and dispenses with skilled operators.     

Phase Behavior and Mesophase Structures of 1,3,5‐Benzene‐ and 1,3,5‐Cyclohexanetricarboxamides: Towards an Understanding of the Losing Order at the Transition into the Isotropic Phase

One of the simplest and most‐versatile motifs in supramolecular chemistry is based on 1,3,5‐benzenetricarboxamides. Variation of the core structure and subtle changes in the structures of the lateral substituents govern the self‐assembly and determine the phase behavior. Herein, we provide a comprehensive comparison between the phase behavior and mesophase structure of a series of 1,3,5‐benzene‐ and 1,3,5‐cyclohexanetricarboxamides that contain linear and branched alkyl substituents. Depending on the substituent, different crystalline, plastic crystalline, and liquid crystalline phases were formed. The relatively rare columnar nematic (N_C) phase was only observed in cyclohexane‐based trisamides that contained linear alkyl substituents. Of fundamental interest in liquid crystalline supramolecular systems is the transition from the mesomorphic state into the isotropic state and, in particular, the question of how the order decreases. Temperature‐dependent IR spectroscopy and XRD measurements revealed that columnar H‐bonded aggregates were still present in the isotropic phase. At the clearing transition, mainly the lateral order was lost, whilst shorter columnar aggregates still remained. A thorough understanding of the phase behavior and the mesophase structure is relevant for selecting processing conditions that use supramolecular structures in devices or as fibrillar nanomaterials.